Grid Computing Enters Mainstream, Says Report

Grid computing has penetrated beyond large research institutions that first developed techniques required to virtualize computing resources and has entered the ‘early adoption’ phase of mainstream commercial computing, according to a new study by Insight Research Corporation.

Grid computing will make it possible to share computing resources across networks, creating what amounts to virtual super computers.

The report, ‘Grid Computing: A Vertical Market Perspective 2006-2011,’ estimates that worldwide grid spending will grow from $1.8 billion in 2006 to approximately $24.5 billion in 2011.

Grid spending was examined in 14 vertical industries, with early adopter spending being concentrated in manufacturing and financial services industry. Spending on grid technology is expected to increase at compounded rates of 70 % over the forecast period. The technology is still in an early adoption phase.

Most IT organizations have also built initial commercial implementations behind a firewall at a single corporate site.

“Though large telecommunications firms, including BT and Telefonica, have selected grid middleware software partner to build out their service delivery capabilities, and a number of startups in grid have received venture capital, grid is still new to many IT organizations,” said Robert Rosenberg, President, Insight Research.

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